


Words Deemed Unsaid

by oliviasdreamscape



Category: Fringe RPF
Genre: Alcohol, Drunkenness, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-24
Updated: 2013-01-24
Packaged: 2017-11-26 17:20:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/652627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oliviasdreamscape/pseuds/oliviasdreamscape
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During the Fringe season 3 finale party, Anna gets drunk. A little too drunk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Words Deemed Unsaid

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone :) This fic is a background story to a scene in my other Torvson fic, ["A Dream Dreamt Together"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/585710/chapters/1052427). Even though there are some minor inconsistencies, this is meant to be the same Josh and Anna from that fic, and takes place 2 years before. However, you will be able to understand this perfectly if you haven’t read ["A Dream Dreamt Together"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/585710/chapters/1052427). Hope you enjoy!

"Hey Anna, what do you get when you cross the Atlantic with the Titanic?" Seth Gabel grinned as he downed another shot of Vodka. He, Anna Torv, and Joshua Jackson were all seated around a small, wooden table on Joel Wyman's porch on a surprisingly warm, fall night. They had just finished filming season 3 of Fringe the day before, and the entire cast and crew was celebrating at Joel's home in Vancouver. The three of them had decided to break away from the gathering inside of the house to have their own celebration with a little bit—or rather quite a bit—of alcohol.

"What?" Anna replied, her response slightly slurred. She usually didn't drink, and had actually only been drunk a couple of times before, but this season had been their best so far in her opinion, and she wanted to let loose with two of her favorite guys. They'd decided to play a simple drinking game that she ended up being horrible at, which resulted in her taking so many shots that she'd lost count. Now she was so wasted that the alcohol didn't even have a taste.

"About halfway!" Seth exclaimed, his head flying backwards in a heat of laughter. It took Anna a second before she understood the joke, but was soon doubled over, giggling uncontrollably.

Josh smiled at his two friends, shaking his head and thinking, "What am I going to do with you two?" He watched as they both took another shot, his attention primarily focused on Anna. He'd never seen her drink this much before, and was actually a little bit worried.

In all actuality, he always got a little anxious whenever she did something dangerous or risky—especially on set. Most of the time she'd get stunt doubles, but when she insisted on doing the stunts herself, it freaked him out a bit. He'd always make sure he was there when she filmed those types of scenes, even if he didn't need to be on set that day. Although it made his heart beat like a drum-line in a marching band watching her perform unsafe (unsafe in his mind, at least) tasks, he felt better being able to see with his own eyes that she was okay.

That was a normal thing for a best friend to do. Right?

Josh's brow wrinkled a little bit more as he watched Anna take two more shots. He'd had a little to drink himself, but had stopped long before Seth and Anna, not wanting to have a hangover in the morning.

"Hey Joshua, why the long face?" Anna asked, her words garbled and nearly indistinguishable.

Josh attempted his best fake smile. "It's nothing."

He wanted to tell her that he thought she'd had a little too much to drink, but didn't want to sound like her father. Besides, they were having a good time and he didn't want to spoil it.

Anna held his gaze a little longer, studying him, able to tell he was lying even in her drunken haze. She knew him all too well. As she opened her mouth to defy his statement, another shot slid in front of her and she averted her gaze to the clear liquid. Her attention span was working about as well as a goldfish's.

Anna picked up her glass and clinked it against Seth's, both of them tilting their heads back as the burning alcohol slid down their throats, then slamming their glasses on the table in unison. While Seth began to pour them another round, Anna started to stand up.

"I have to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back. Don't start without me," She ordered, shaking her finger in front of Seth's face.

As soon as she tried to take a step towards the entrance of the house, she began to tumble forward, her depth perception and vision blatantly impaired. But before she could crash face first onto the ground, Josh jumped out of his seat and caught her in his arms.

"Whoa, I've got you," Josh claimed as he steadied her on her feet.

Anna giggled and blinked her eyes, trying to clear her vision to no avail. "Thank you. I think I've got it now." She was only able to take a few more steps before stumbling right back into Josh's arms like a fawn learning to walk.

"Let me help you," Josh insisted softly, wrapping one of his arms around her small body.

"Okay." Anna rested her head on his shoulder and put her arm around his waist for additional support as he walked her towards Joel's bathroom. He smelled like coffee and leather, and with her weakened inhibitions, couldn't resist the urge to wrap both her arms around him and nestle her nose into his neck. Josh was taken aback by Anna's sudden embrace, and almost fell backwards, taking her with him.

"You smell nice," Anna breathed, making his skin tingle with desire. He shook the feeling away.

_"Anna is my best friend and nothing more,"_ he chanted over and over in his mind, just as he did nearly every single day until his heart finally got the picture.

"Thank you," Josh answered, continuing their walk towards the bathroom. He was glad that most of the cast and crew had left, leaving only a few stragglers sitting on the couch. They were engrossed in a heavy political debate, and thankfully didn't even notice Anna and Josh stumbling along behind them.

When they reached the door, Josh helped Anna inside and sat her down on the toilet. He was relieved that she was wearing a light sundress so he wouldn't have to worry about helping her with buttons and zippers.

"I will be right outside, okay? Just let me know if you need anything." Josh stated.

"Okay. Thank you."

Josh waited outside the door and wondered if Jasika was still at the party, not wanting Anna to be alone tonight. Looking at his phone, he saw with a shock that it was already 2:00 AM. He knew Jasika had probably gone home by now, along with nearly everyone else. He had no idea who he could call and ask to stay with Anna this early in the morning.

Maybe he was just worrying too much. Anna was 32 years old; surely she would be fine by herself. He'd just call her a cab and—

A crashing noise in the bathroom startled him out of his distressed reverie. He didn't hesitate a second before bursting through the door, finding Anna on the floor picking up various bottles and tins. Relief swept over his body when he realized it was just a few small items that had fallen to the floor and not Anna.

"Here, let me do that," Josh spoke, helping her up and sitting her down on the side of the large bathtub. He deftly collected the fallen items and put them in their respective places. When he looked back at Anna, she was leaning against the wall, her eyes closed as if she were sleeping.

"Anna, hey, open your eyes," Josh persisted, kneeling in front of her and taking her face in his hands. "Look at me." Slowly her eyelids drifted up, a warm smile spreading across her face when she saw him.

"Hi," She whispered. He could be mistaken, but it looked like she had a glimmer of affection in her eyes as she stared at him. He was probably just seeing things.

"Hi," he smiled back, not taking his hands away from her face. "How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted." She let her face fall onto Josh's shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck. There was no way he was going to let a cab take her home. He doubted that she would even be able to find the door handle to get out of the car, let alone find her way to her apartment.

"I'm going to take you home, okay?" Josh stood up with her still clinging to his neck. "Do you think you can walk?"

She nodded and moved her arms to encircle his waist. He led her to the couch and sat her down, thankful that nobody was in sight. "I'm going to go tell Seth that we're leaving. Stay right here."

When Josh got to the back porch, he found Seth laughing with a few of the cameramen.

"Hey Seth, Anna and I are going to go. Had a blast tonight," Josh stated, slapping his buddy's arm.

"Whoa now, did you say that you and Anna are going to go? Like you guys are leaving together? It's about time, dude!" Seth laughed.

Josh shook his head violently. "No, of course not. I'm taking her home, and then I'm going home."

"Oh, my mistake. See you later, then."

Josh said a final goodnight and headed back inside the house to get Anna, who was now curled up on the couch with her eyes closed.

"Dammit, not again," He muttered to himself as he knelt in front of her for the second time in less than 10 minutes. He placed his hand on her cheek and her eyes fluttered open. Josh smiled, thankful she hadn't fallen asleep. "Hey, ready to go home?"

She nodded and sat up, instantly letting her head fall into her hands as if it were too heavy for her neck to keep up on its own.

"Anna, are you alright?" Josh queried, taking a seat beside her and resting his hand on her back.

"I don't feel very well. I think I drank too much."

_"You think?"_ Josh thought. They sat there in silence for a few minutes as he rubbed her back soothingly. He simply couldn't let her go back to her place in this state—she couldn't even see straight. What if something happened to her that he could've prevented? He wouldn't be able to live with himself.

"Anna, I think it would be best if I took you home with me. I don't think you should be alone tonight." At first he didn't think she'd heard him, but then she turned her head to gaze at him questioningly.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a burden."

Anna Torv? A burden? Those were just two things that would never go together. He'd do absolutely anything for her, with pleasure. "Anna, of course not. I'm going to call a cab right now."

Josh called the taxi service, who promised a cab would be there in the next few minutes, which was convenient since Anna could barely keep her eyes open.

After ending the call, Josh turned to face her. "Cab will be here shortly. We should head outside."

He helped her to her feet and began to lead her towards the stairs. Well, more like drag. Anna was extremely light, but having to basically haul her nearly lifeless body across the room was a tedious task. Thinking of a better idea, he scooped her up into his arms.

Anna took in a sharp, startled breath as she was literally swept off her feet. He smiled at her reassuringly, and her heart melted into a puddle on the tiled floor. His eyes were just so blue and that smile was so sweet; she couldn't stop staring at him. She wanted him to kiss her more than she wanted to breathe.

Josh's cheeks began to flush as Anna stared him down, her lips curled up in an adorable crooked smile. His eyes locked onto her mouth, wanting to kiss her so badly that it was actually painful.

_"Anna is my best friend, and nothing more."_

Josh ripped his eyes away from her mouth and continued walking towards the front door. He felt Anna's arms around his neck again, and heard her sigh contentedly into the hollow beneath his shoulder. Somehow he managed to open the door without putting her down, and made his way to the lemon-yellow cab pulling up in the driveway. Perfect timing.

Josh helped Anna into the back of the taxi and slid in beside her. He told the driver his address, and turned his attention back to Anna to buckle her seatbelt. As the driver pulled away, he felt Anna enfold her arms around his stomach, her head resting on his shoulder. He lifted his hand up so he could soothingly stroke her soft hair. She had never been this touchy-feely with him before, but he couldn't deny that he was enjoying it, even if she wasn't exactly composed.

_"Anna is my best friend, and nothing..."_ Awh, to hell with it.

Why was he trying to kid himself? Josh had been head-over-heels in love with her since the second he saw her walking towards him on the first day of filming. That silky blonde hair, her exquisite smile, those mesmerizing green eyes—his knees had almost given out when he'd heard that smoky, sultry voice say, "Hi, I'm Anna Torv."

Not only had her beauty taken his breath away, as soon as they'd started talking, he felt like he'd known her for years. They'd had an instant connection, which had helped them immensely with their onscreen chemistry. And now after 3 years, they were the very best of friends.

Other people seemed to notice their compatibility onscreen—and offscreen— as well. Josh had lost count of how many times other cast and crewmembers had pestered him about asking her out. He wanted to, but he and Anna had an unspoken agreement to be friends and nothing more, which was the exact reason why Josh couldn't admit his true feelings for her. He had to hold up his end of the deal just as she was holding up hers, so instead he attempted to bury his feelings deep inside, although they always found ways to creep back up when he was least expecting it.

But even though Josh wanted her to be his, what he wanted more than anything in the world was for her to be happy. And right now, with him as her best friend and nothing more, she was happy.

Finally, after what seemed like a day of driving, they arrived at Josh's apartment building. He gave the driver his credit card and unbuckled his and Anna's seatbelts.

"Are we home?" Anna asked groggily, rubbing her eyes and smearing her makeup all over.

Josh smiled. "Yeah. We're home."

He thanked the driver and hopped out of the car, jogging around to the other door to help Anna. He thought about trying to let her walk again, but decided against it and scooped her back up into his arms. He enjoyed the feel of her arms around his neck, her familiar vanilla-scented skin bringing lovely snapshots of her throughout the years to his mind. Her skin was his absolute favorite smell.

They made their way to the front door of Josh's building, where an older doorman Josh didn't recognize stood off to the side. He nodded at Josh and opened the door for him.

"Have a good day, sir," The doorman wished.

"Thanks, you too." Josh was grateful the doorman didn't query the fact that he was carrying a fully grown woman with black makeup smeared all around her eyes, making her look a little like a raccoon.

When they reached his apartment, Josh set Anna down on the couch and went into the kitchen to get her a glass of water and prepare himself a cup of coffee, since he had no intention of sleeping that night. He had originally planned on letting her sleep in his bed, but decided it'd be better if she slept on the couch where he could keep an eye on her.

Suddenly, he heard Anna groan in discomfort. When he turned to look at her, she was pallid and pale as a corpse. He instantly sprinted to her side, nearly spilling hot coffee all over himself.

"Anna, what's wrong? Talk to me."

"Joshua, I—I don't feel—" she gagged, her hand reaching up to cover her mouth. Oh God, she was going to be sick.

Without hesitation, Josh picked her up and ran with her towards the bathroom, making it just in time for her to heave the entirety of her stomach into the toilet. All he could do was hold her hair back, wishing it was him having to go through this and not her.

After about 15 minutes of spewing, Anna was completely hollowed out. She rested her head on her arms, looking completely miserable. Josh let go of her hair and stood up to get a washcloth. He ran the cloth under some warm water and then bent back down beside her.

"Anna? I'm going to clean you up a little bit, okay?"

She turned her head to look at him, her eyelids droopy and fatigued. "Okay."

Gently, he took her face in one of his hands and began to wipe her mouth and the makeup from her eyes. With every passing second she began to look more and more like the Anna he knew and loved.

When she was all cleaned up, Josh carried her into the living room and sat her on his old recliner.

"I'm going to make a bed for you on the couch, okay? Just sit tight." He walked over to his hall closet and grabbed some fresh sheets, then went into his room to grab a blanket and his favorite feather pillow.

Entering the living room again, he half expected to see Anna passed out on his chair. Instead she was watching him intently; her head cocked to the side like it always did when she was studying her lines, as if she were in deep thought. He smiled warmly at her and began preparing the couch for her to sleep on.

After he finished, he looked back at Anna to find her still staring at him, her brow creased in what looked like contemplation. She sort of seemed puzzled; like she wanted to tell him something, but didn't quite know how to say it. Josh pushed his curiosity aside, blaming her peculiarity on her current condition.

Pretending like he didn't notice her gaze, Josh walked over to her and picked her up, lying her down on the couch and placing the covers over her body. Just as he was about to tell her goodnight, she pulled him down into a firm embrace.

"Thank you for everything, Joshua," She murmured into his ear. "I don't know what I would ever do without you."

Josh smiled against her hair and hugged her back tightly. "Good thing you'll never have to find out."

They stayed holding each other for a few minutes until Anna pushed him back to stare into his eyes with that same pondering look.

"What is it, Anna? You can tell me," Josh encouraged.

Anna looked away from him for a few moments, attempting to gather her thoughts in her foggy state of mind. When her eyes finally met Josh's again, they were clear and full of a sincerity he'd never seen before. He wondered if she had magically become sober, all traces of her glassy-eyed drunkenness gone. When she smiled at him, the same smile she'd given him the first day they'd met, he felt his head spin as if she'd transferred her intoxication onto him. Why drink when one look at Anna's smile made him feel like he'd drunk an entire bottle of Vodka by himself?

"You're my best friend, Joshua."

"You're my best friend, too." Pulling the blanket up to her chin, Josh tucked the covers around her body and smoothed his hand over her forehead to brush the stray hairs away. She looked exactly like an angel with her long, golden cascade of hair splaying every which way on the pillow. The corners of her full lips were curled up in content, making him want to kiss her so damn badly for the second time that night. He often found himself yearning for those silky lips against his, their taste so heavenly that it couldn't be compared to anything else. Sometimes he'd intentionally mess up their kisses while filming just so he could kiss her again.

"I'll see you in the morning, alright? Goodnight, Anna."

He tried to stand up from the couch but felt her hand on his, stopping him from leaving.

"Wait," She whispered. "There's something else I have to tell you."

"Okay. What is it?"

She splayed her small hand softly on his cheek, the honesty in her eyes so pronounced that it made his heart jump a little.

"I'm in love with you," She stated earnestly.

For a second all Josh could do was stare at her. Was he dreaming? Had he drunk more than he thought he had? Before he could say anything, Anna yawned and turned on her side, closing her eyes as exhaustion got the best of her. She inhaled his pillow deeply and smiled at his scent embedded into the material. And just like that, she was asleep.

When she had been sleeping for a good 5 minutes, Josh leaned down and kissed her forehead, letting his lips remain on her skin for a while longer. His mind replayed her words over and over like a broken record stuck on one phrase. If only she knew how badly he wanted to say he loved her back— that he had always and would always love her. But it just wasn't the right time. Not like this.

Hours later Josh hadn't moved an inch, his mind still continuously repeating Anna's declaration. He knew she'd been under the influence when she said those precious words, but that sincerity in her eyes—he'd never seen anything like it before. If there was one thing he was sure of in this world, it was that she had been telling the truth. But as happy as it made him, with every passing minute, he became more and more nervous.

If she didn't remember saying it in the morning, what was he going to do? How could he act normal around her ever again, and pretend that he didn't share the same feelings for her? Should he tell her, or act like nothing had happened? Clearly if she hadn't admitted her true feelings to him by now, then that was how she wanted it to be.

But what if she did remember? Would she lie to him and say that she hadn't been in her right mind? Would she tell him what she'd said had been true, and that she wanted to start a relationship with him? With the entirety of his heart, he hoped the latter would be true.

Now that their "we aren't in a relationship because we don't want to risk our friendship" excuse was no longer valid, since they'd both broken the deal by falling in love, there was simply no sense in not moving forward. It'd just be foolish, especially when he was sure they'd have a beautiful life together.

Not once in the time they'd known each other had they ever fought or argued—they got along absolutely perfectly. They were a match made in heaven, and if she was up for it, he'd be more than willing to delve into a relationship. Yet, he knew all he could really do was wait for her to wake up and see what she remembered, wait to see what their friendship would turn into, because God knew it would never be the same again.

***

Josh woke with a start when he felt something stir beside him on the couch. Turning his gaze to the source of the movement, he saw Anna huddled on her side with her face buried flush into his pillow. Looking at the clock, he was relieved to find out that he'd only dozed off for about 10 minutes.

Since it was nearly 7:00 AM, Josh decided that it would be best to just get up and start the day. Standing up from the couch, his back popped so loudly it sounded like someone had just fired a machine gun. He'd been slouched over on the couch beside Anna for nearly 5 hours without moving, which he knew he was going to regret later.

Walking into the kitchen, he started a pot of coffee and then went into his bathroom to take a shower. He turned the water to its hottest temperature, needing something to wake up his numb body. He was both physically and mentally expunged from everything that had happened within the last several hours.

As the burning stream pelted down on his body, his mind began to go through all of the potential scenarios that could happen when Anna woke up. Even though he had been turning over each possible outcome in his mind for hours, he just felt more and more anxious with each passing second. She'd be waking up soon, and he had no idea what to expect.

***

When Anna came around to consciousness, she didn't even bother to stifle a loud moan as her head began to pound relentlessly. She tried to open her eyes, but the light coming from the window in front of her made her feel like someone had thrown a bowling ball at her skull. _"What in the hell happened last night?"_ She wondered.

Forcing herself to sit up, she massaged her temples in a failed attempt to release the throbbing, all-consuming pain. Without even opening her eyes, she could tell that she was in Josh's apartment just by the way it smelled, and how the couch beneath her squeaked ever so slightly when she moved. Only she had no idea how she'd gotten there, or why.

Anna cupped her hands around her eyes to try and block out as much sunlight as she could, and slowly opened her eyelids. Just as she'd expected, she was sitting on Josh's couch, which had been made into a makeshift bed. Looking to her left, she saw a glass of water and immediately chugged the entire thing.

She knew without a doubt she was hungover, even though she'd only ever experienced it two other times in the past. She tried her best to remember what had happened the night before, but everything after Joel's party was completely eradicated. It was like someone had entered her mind and cut out hours worth of her memories.

Abruptly, she heard the distant patter of bare footsteps getting louder as they made their way to the living room. When Josh turned the corner and met her gaze, he stopped mid-step. He had clearly just gotten out of the shower and was wearing a simple gray t-shirt and jeans. He looked ruggedly handsome like usual, except for the fact that his face was slowly draining of color, as if he was staring into the eyes of a ghost.

"Anna—umm—you're—uhh—hi," He sputtered. "How—umm—how're you feeling?"

"Hungover. Would you mind shutting the curtains on that window?"

"Umm yeah, sure." Josh turned and walked towards the window, clumsily tripping over his own feet and nearly toppling to the hardwood floor. Naturally his composure would decide to take a vacation just when he needed it most.

As he closed the curtain, he took a deep, steadying breath.

"So, Anna. Do you remember anything from last night?" He inquired casually, turning around to meet her gaze. If she was suspicious of his odd manner, she didn't let on, which relieved him to a great extent.

"Well, the last thing I remember is Seth telling a stupid joke about the Titanic. Everything after that is completely missing from my mind. I'm guessing I got really drunk and you took me home with you?"

Josh felt his eyes widen in bewilderment. She didn't remember _anything_ after Seth's joke? "Umm, yeah, pretty much."

Anna smiled and gave a breathy laugh. "Taking care of me, like always. Thank you, Joshua. I owe you big time."

Immediately, Josh felt his heart begin to ache. He knew it'd been a slim chance, but he was hoping more than anything that she'd remember what she confessed to him.

Walking over to his chair, he sat and rested his right foot on his left knee. "Don't mention it. So, you seriously don't remember anything about last night? Nothing you did… or said?"

Anna scrunched her nose and tilted her head in reflection. God, why did she have to be so endearing? He was having a hard enough time as it was not grabbing her face and melting his lips to hers.

"Honestly, no," She admitted, looking at him apologetically. "Maybe bits and pieces will come to me later."

"Yeah, maybe," He replied flatly, averting his gaze to his fidgeting hands. He'd blacked-out enough times in his life to know that those drunken memories rarely ever came back.

Anna watched him attentively, noting all of the abnormalities in his behavior. Usually he was playful and carefree around her, but today he was… she didn't even know what he was. Disappointed? Troubled? Hurt? She couldn't put her finger on it.

"Is everything alright, Joshua?" She asked softly.

He forced himself to look at her, not wanting her suspicion to grow. She didn't remember, and she wasn't going to remember. That was just the cold hard truth he was going to have to face. Even though he hated to admit it, it'd probably be best to just pretend it had never happen. If she hadn't told him of her feelings by now, then it was obviously for a good reason. Josh let himself replay her words once more, then reluctantly packed them away neatly into vault in his mind.

_"Maybe it's better this way"_ , he thought.

"Yeah, everything is great," He smiled as genuinely as he could. "Are you hungry or anything?" Standing up, he walked into the kitchen to pour them some coffee, and to get away from her searching gaze.

Anna felt her stomach growl in response. "Yeah, I am a little hungry, actually." Swinging her feet off the side of the couch, she stood up, instantly regretting her decision when the edges of her vision began to go black. Before she knew what was happening, she collapsed back down on the sofa with a loud thud.

Josh was at her side immediately, his hands on either side of her face.

"Are you okay? Do you feel sick?" He questioned, clearly concerned.

"I think I just stood up too fast. I'm fine."

For some reason, the worried way Josh was looking at her made her cheeks redden and her stomach flutter with the wonderful kind of butterflies. When he took his hands from her face and stood up, she felt a sharp pang disappointment. What was that all about?

She'd known for a while that she'd developed deep feelings for Josh, but had never let them show. They had a silent agreement to be friends and nothing more, not wanting to gamble their wonderful friendship, which she now thought was pretty ridiculous considering the fact that she knew they'd have a beautiful relationship. However, he'd never hinted that he wanted anything more, so she just assumed he didn't think of her as anything more than a friend and suppressed her feelings.

But something was different this morning. The atmosphere around them was heady and entrancing, engulfing her in a silky warmth that reminded her of summer days and red roses. She had an overwhelming desire to kiss him, and if he hadn't pulled away, she just might have gone for it. Damn, what was going on with her emotions?

"Good, I'll get you something to eat. Cornflakes with skim?" He asked, heading back into the kitchen.

"Yeah, thank you" She mumbled breathlessly, wondering if he'd also felt what could only be described as magic between them. If that was what being with him would feel like all the time, then maybe it was time she said something…

"Hey Joshua?" She spoke, chewing on her lower lip nervously.

"Yeah?"

Wait— she needed to think this through. What if he hadn't felt anything? What if he wanted to keep things the way they were and she messed everything up by making things awkward? What if what she'd felt had just been some strange side-effect from her hangover?

"Never mind."

"Oh, okay." Grinning, he walked towards her with a mug of coffee and her cornflakes. "You were crazy last night, A. Dancing on the tables, singing Stevie Nicks at the top of your lungs…"

Anna slugged him in the arm after he'd set her breakfast on the coffee table in front of her. "I did not!"

"Alright then, whatever you say," He simpered, the familiar glimmer of mischief in his eyes. The Joshua she knew and loved was back, the peculiar behavior he'd displayed only 3 minutes ago nonexistent. Anna began to think that maybe she was still a little drunk.

They sat together in his living room, chatting about everything and nothing, as they drank their coffee and ate.

But just when Anna would think everything was back to normal between them, he'd look at her in a way that made her heart soar. Only the gaze never lasted more than a second, so she could never truly be sure if it was real or just a figment of her imagination—something her brain was creating on its own because she wanted to see it so badly. How come all she could think about this morning was being in a romantic relationship with Josh? She needed to be alone to get her head on straight.

"Joshua, would you mind taking me home?" Anna asked.

Although he wanted her to stay, preferably forever, Josh complied. "Yeah, of course."

When she stood up and began to fold her blankets, he grabbed her hand to stop her. "Leave them. I'll get it later."

"Okay," She smiled, curling her fingers around his and squeezing. His hand was surprisingly soft and gentle against hers, and she had to force herself to let go of it.

She needed to get home before she did something she'd regret.

***

Her and Josh didn't say a word to each other the entire way to her apartment, but the silence was comfortable. She watched him tap his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the song on the radio, seeming fully content with life. An automatic grin spread across her face as she observed her best friend in the whole wide world just being his normal, loveable self.

She loved how without even speaking a word, it still felt like they'd had a fulfilling conversation, almost as if they'd been communicating telepathically. She knew without a doubt in her mind that she'd never find another friend as special, or as exceptional, as Josh. Simply hanging out with him made her happier than anything in the world, and if he was happy with the way things were, then she was, too.

But, if he ever changed his mind and wanted more with their relationship, then she'd be more than willing to dive in. He just had to be the one to make the first move.

When they pulled up to her building, Josh hopped out of the car and opened the door for her.

"Why, thank you Mr. Jackson," She smirked.

"Of course, Ms. Torv," He charmed, taking her dainty hand to help her from her seat.

Finally reaching the door to her complex, she enveloped him in a heartfelt embrace. "Thank you for everything you do for me, Joshua. I don't know what I'd ever do without you."

He held her tightly against his body, breathing in her sweet, vanilla scent. "Good thing you'll never have to find out."

Anna pulled away from him, cocking her head to the side in a bemused manner.

"What is it?" He questioned.

"I just had the most vivid feeling of déjà vu."

"Hmm that's strange, so did I."

Anna shook her head and sneered at him playfully, assuming he was just teasing her like usual. "Well Joshua, I'd better get inside and get cleaned up. I feel like I got ran over by a steamroller and then thrown into a swamp. I'll see you soon." And with that, she began to walk away from him.

Before his mind could talk him out of it, he grabbed her arm. "Anna, hold on a sec."

Anna's heart did a cartwheel. "Yeah?"

Josh reached his hand behind his head to scratch his neck, trying his best to play things casual. "So, you got any plans for tomorrow?"

Her heart did a full on back flip. "Nope, none. Why?"

"I was planning on going to Seattle for the day. You know, just a little getaway. I thought that maybe… you'd like to come with me? I know you've always wanted to see the Space Needle."

_"YES!"_ She wanted to scream.

"Yeah, sure. That sounds wonderful," She agreed, relieved she was able to keep her extreme excitement under control. She'd save the happy-dance for when she got inside her apartment.

Josh beamed in a way that made her feel like the most special person in the entire world. "Great! I'll pick you up at 8 AM?"

"Sounds perfect."

"Alright, I'll see you in the morning, then." He gave her arm a small caress and turned to walk away, grinning like the Cheshire cat the entire drive home. This was just two friends hanging out. Two friends that happened to be in love with each other and pretending that they weren't. This wasn't a date. Not even close.

When Anna got inside her home, she danced around her living room like a madwoman, not remotely caring that it made her head ache even more. Her and Josh had hung out millions of times, but they'd never actually gone on a trip together. Even though it wasn't a date, or so she continuously had to convince herself, she was beyond excited to spend the entire day with her best friend in a city she'd always dreamed of going to.

She had a feeling that this trip would be special, and quite possibly, the start of something new.


End file.
